Auburn family reunites with dog lost on Christmas Eve

Kim Palaferri/Auburn JournalAuburn police temporarily housed this Yorkie that was lost on Christmas Eve, only to be reunited with its Auburn family on Thursday.

A lost dog taken in by Auburn police on Christmas Eve has been returned to its owner.

An Auburn woman and her two children arrived at Auburn Police Department on Thursday morning and were reunited with their Yorkshire terrier – a happy ending to the search effort conducted by police staff.

Det. Dustin McLaughlin witnessed the reunion, and he said it had been a mix of joy and relief for the family.

“The little kids were jumping up and down with excitement,” McLaughlin said.

Department staff learned the dog’s name was Bandit; they had been calling him Picasso, a name given to him by Det. Dave Neher.

On Christmas Eve, a caller from Grass Valley reported seeing the dog at 3:30 p.m. near Auburn Palms Senior Citizens Apartments on Auburn Ravine Road. With a downpour beginning and the animal shelters closed, dispatcher Lois Montgomery asked if the caller could bring the dog in, as officers were busy at the time.

They made a temporary home for the dog at the police station, using a cage they keep on hand in case loose animals are picked up and shelters are closed.

Jon Schultz can be reached at jons@goldcountrymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jon_AJNews